SUMMARY: DU 4.0D observations ........

From: Thomas Leitner <tom_at_finwds01.tu-graz.ac.at>
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 21:56:23 +0100 (MET)

Well,

I didn't get many replies on this one, probably because I'm rather
alone with these problems and/or the problems are not too big anyway.

So here are my findings:

    I've upgraded two machines and both have shown the same
    symptoms: I don't know what I did but suddenly "who" and "finger"
    did not output anything anymore because /var/adm/utmp had
    zero size. I don't know what caused this but it happend twice
    and on both upgraded machines.

This did not happen again. However, I did a "cat </dev/null
>/var/adm/utmp" and rebooted the machines.

    The upgrade unconditionally overwrote /etc/snmpd.conf without
    backup. I had to restore the file from another machine.

No comments ......

    What is /etc/thresholds.dat. Right after upgrade the system
    complained about a missing /etc/thresholds.dat. Well: I did a
    "touch /etc/threshold.dat" and the complaint went away but
    what is this file for?

This files are needed by the new svrMgt_mib SNMP subagent which is
started in /sbin/init.d/snmpd. If you don't need SNMP you can just
disable it be removing the startup script from /sbin/rc3.d. Apparently
the file has something to do with either the performance manager
software (which I was told by a Digital person -- see attached mail)
or the environmental monitoring software for AlphaServers.

    The X-Server patch for the S3-Trio line drawing problem apparently
    did not make it into 4.0D. Luckily the patched 4.0B shared library
    file works under 4.0D as well.

Well, this is a problem, at least for the people who run into it and
don't know that a patch exists. I do have a patch for this problem
and I certainly hope that Digital will include it in the next patch
kit. The problem occurs when an application is drawing lines in a window
with negative coordinates. These coordinates are mapped to positive
values rather than being clipped off which can result in severe problems
depending on the X application. Our own application was severly affected
by it. I have a small Motif program which demonstrates the effect. It can
be demonstrated as well be running the "twm" window manager and moving
a window close to the left border of the screen. The resulting outline
of the window is garbled then.

    After re-installing DecNet/OSI (the light version), I'm not able
    to "dlogin" into the system anymore:

This turned out to be local mis-configuration which existed before the
upgrade, as I was told be a co-worker.

Thanks to Robert.Otterson_at_digital.com for his comment about the
/etc/threshold.dat file. I'm including his comment below.

Tom

----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Robert Otterson <Robert.Otterson_at_digital.com>
Subject: RE: DU 4.0D observations ........

        3.) What is /etc/thresholds.dat. Right after upgrade the system
            complained about a missing /etc/thresholds.dat. Well: I did a
            "touch /etc/threshold.dat" and the complaint went away but
            what is this file for ?

rjo>> Its part of the Performance Manager; upgrade(associated
products) and change the name on the old one(?)

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Received on Tue Feb 24 1998 - 21:56:41 NZDT

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